Chain link



Jan. 15, 1929.

S. D. LOCKE CHAIN LINK Filed May 51, 1924 e my 0 W0 0 s W m. 6

ATTORNEY.

time chain.

* iran srAres PATENT or FICE.

SYLV-AINUSVD, LOCKE, on smnennonr; CONNECTICUT.

Original application fi1ed MarchI7, 1923,'Seria1' N0 62?;435. Divided and this-application filedzMay 31,.

' 1924. serialrNo. 716,994.

This application is a division of my pending application, Serial No. 623,435, filed March 7,1923. j 4

The invention herein relates to sheet metal chain links, and presentsa chain link which is an improvement upon the link of the invention'of Osswald, disclosed and patented in'his Letters Patent of the Unitedistates No. 1,107,931, granted August-18, 1914, and No. 1,157,175, granted ()ctober 19, 1915.

Oneof the objectsof theinventionis to provide a-novel chain link Which-Will be a great improvement over, chain links of the same general character heretofore known.

Each of the duplicate chain links'illus- 'trate d and described in thepatents to Use- :wald, above identifiechcensists, generally, of

sidebars, a relatively small end bar, [and a relatively small :end 'bar 50f a different link relatively.largeendubar=or end'hook of a link being adapted to be formed around the relatively small 'end bar of I a different link in the assemblingcperation of links: to pro- That- :is to *say, the links of the Ossvval'd chain are similar and each connection :or joint-"between said links is constituted byaa'sprocket or large end baraofone link encircling OPQHVGlOPlIlg5L small end her of a different link. The sprocket or large end bar consists: of a short, relatively wide lip :and along, relatively; narrow-lip, theiormer being approximately the Width ota :link and the latter being of a Width to enter the space between the side bars of a link. The ends of said wide and narrow lips of said sprocket or largeend bar areuspaced apart a predetermined distance onamount, viz, less than the measurement :representing the thickness of the metal OfWhiCh the links are composed. 'Obviously, the space between theends of the sprocketbar' can "notbe equal to-er greater than tl'ie thickness of, the metal composing the links, or the links imight "have relative .transverse'movement to be come accidentally disassemble'd 'when the chain is in use. The thickness-of the strip :otmetal from which'links such asi Osswalds are made necessarily varies, and the distance between the ends ofthe lips ofthe sprocket 110 arrange a'dg -bar must, therefore, be an appreciable bars'of one link'are in :alinement withthe spacebetween theends ot'the lips ofathe sprocket or large end bar of-a different link and-:to then hammerthelink toibe removed until aside bar has moved transversely of said different link through the-whole length of the spaceibetween the ends of-said lips of the sprocket bar. Naturally, some consida' ble'lorce is'required to thus detacha' link, 1( for example, a broken or impaired dink),

from chain, not to mention thetimesnecessarilyv consumed in removingithe link.

Another obyect of the'invention is,-there- I fore, toprovide a-novel chain-linkhaving a detaching slot and keepers, whereby links of a chain can be easily disassembled from or manually assembled with other links when 7 this is expedient or desirable.

"More specifically, the invention aims to jprovide a' ohainlink having awsmall end bar and a sprocket or large end bar adapted-"to encircle assmall end baroit a differentlink :-when assembled to ';;prod-uce :a strand of chain, the sprocket or large-end-bar having a free, spaced apart ends-rand one ofsaidends having slot intermediate its extremities, whereby theli-nk, when assembled, is insured against accidental displacement, but 4 is carpable' ofbeing much more readily andieasily removed from yor manually, attached to another ,link than is a :link constructed; as illustrated and :described ;-in the 'OssWald (patents mentioned. i t

In 'chainsshavin-g links-of they-nature of those of the Osswaldjpatents the-stress on -the sprocket:orilarge end bar of :each link, I wvhen iin --,us'e, "is :against the long, vnarrow @lip of saidwbar, and, consequently, 'the'cross section of;=metal in -;sa-id long lip, i'particu 'larly at andl-adjacent to';the;endthereof, ,should heasgreat -as,.possible,-but the short,

wide lip of said ssprocketorlarge-endi bar,

: isaunder :practically no; stress when; the; chain is in' use. I have, ;therefore, :illustrated 'jachain links of,the general natureof those of "the Ossvvald patents and have; provided the end of the short, "Wide :lip of "the sprocket bar uoteach link "with :a :detac'hing slot, the material otisaiid widelip end adjacent the ,extremities of the slot rbeing spaced from the :planerof the end o'f vthe long lip of -the sprocket bar/a distance ea little less than "the measurement representing the ;-mean 1 thickness of thesmetal of vvhichnthe linksare composed to iiaonstitntedetaching keepers: for

insuring the assembled relation of each sprocket bar or one link with a small end bar of a different link. I desire it understood, however, that the novel link of the present invention could be of modified form,

all as will hereinafter fully appear, within the spirit of the present invention. 1 have preferred to disclose a detaching slot which is a trifle longer than a measurement representing the length of the long lip of the sprocket bar, but the length of the slot may be varied to suit conditions.

Other objects of the invention will be ob vious from the drawings and description of the link embodying the invention which I have herein selected for the purpose of illustration. I

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a pair of essembled novel links in which the features of the invention are incorporated;

Fig. 2 is an edge view looking toward the bottom edge of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 8"?) in Fig. 1; r

Fig. i is a perspective view of the novel link of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the link of Fig.

' 1 looking toward the large end of said link;

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview on line 6-6 in Fig. 1'; Fig. 7 is a sectional View with the showingof Fig. 6, disclosing the I links as when being disassembled or manucurvilinear conformation, as indicated at 13,

and the sprocket or large end bar consists of the long, relatively narrow lip 14 struck from the blankto define the side bars, and

the short relatively wide lip 15 constituting the end portion of the link. The lips 14, 15 are of general curvilinear conformation, preferably together defining a broken cylinder or tube adapted to envelope or encircle the small end bar 13.

The free ends of the sprocket bar, i. e., the ends of the short, wide Ii 15 and the long, narrow lip 14:, are spacec apart a distance a little less than a measurement representing the mean thickness of the metal composing the links,and the end of the relatively wide lip 15 is providedwith the centrally positioned detaching slot 16, desirably having length about equal to or slightly greater than the width of the long, relatively narrow lip 14', defining the detaching keepers 17 at the extremities of said slot.

corresponding The detaching slot 16 can be of any preferred depth and shape, and can be shorter or longer than shown. It is preferably of a depth which added to the distance between the ends of the lips of the sprocket or large end bar equals a measurement a trifle greater than or approximately equal to the probable maximum thickness of the sheet metal of which the duplicate links of a chain are composed.

In Fig. 8 I have .disclosed a pair of duplicate links which are different from the links of Figs. 1 to 7 in one particular only, viz, the small end bar 13 of each of these links is flat.

The long, narrow lip l t of one link, as

the side bars of a different link when the, links are assemblechand the short, wide lip lies adjacent to or contiguous with the small end bar 13 or 18, as the case may be.

The manner in which a link constructed as illustrated and described can be removed from a strand of chain having similar links is best disclosed in Fig. 7. The side bars of the link the small end of which is shown joined are first arranged to be in alinement with the space between the detaching keepers l7 and the end of the long, narrow lip 14, and the link to be disjoined. is thenhammered or otherwise'manipulated transversely of the adjoining link until one of its side bars has passed a detaching keeper 17. This sidebar can then be freely moved through the length of the detaching slot 16, as will be understood, and can afterwards be moved past the other detaching keeper 17. Obviously, but one side bar must. pass the keep ers when two links are given relative transverse movement, the other side bar always being free of the keepers at the commencement of the relative transverse movement. I I

But a single hammer blow would, evidently, be required to remove a side bar past each keeper, if in fact even this much force would be necessary, it being apparent that the links can be shifted relatively to' each other so that a side bar being forced past clearly disclosed, enters the space between the keepers can have relation to the end of That is to, say, the present links can be positioned relatively to each other to arrange a side bar to be removed at an obl que angle to the free end of the long, narrow lip and the free end of a. detaching keeper to be passed, the depth of the detaching slot added to the distance between. the ends of the sprocket bar. allowing for this oblique ar- ,rangement, and manipulated past said free;

ends without any considerable difficulty, more or less difficulty depending upon the distance between the detaching keepers and the free end ot the long, narrow lip rela tively to the thickness of the metal ofthe link, and also depending upon the length of the detaching slot relativelyto the width of the long, narrow lip. To manually replace a link the operations described are reversed.

' fled, the link of the present invention can be readily and quickly removed from or manually replaced in a strand by the eX- penditure of but a small amount of effort. At the same time, the novel link fully illustrated and described is no more liable than the Osswald link to become accidentally displaced from chain when in use.

Many alterations in the construction, and many apparentlyv widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art of making sheet metal chain links, without departing .from the scope and spirit thereof. The disclosure and description herein are purely illustrative, and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is A sheet metal chain link comprising a body and end bars one ofwhich is a sprocket bar including a relatively narrow and a relatively wide lip, said lips havingtheir ends spaced apart a distance less than the meas urement representing the thickness of said sheet metal, said relatively wide lip end having a detaching slot intermediate its extremities defining keepers adjacent the extremities of said relatively narrow lip end, and said detaching slot'having depth which added to the measurement representing the distance between the endsof said elements equals a measurement greater than that representing the thickness of said sheet metal.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield, and State of Connecticut, this 27th day of May, A. D. 1924.

SYLVANUS D. LOCKE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,699,400. Granted January 15, 1929, to

SYLVANUS D. LOGKE.

t is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 9, for "No. 1,107,931." read "1,107,831"; same page, line 19, strike out the words "relatively small end bar of a different link", and line 20, after the word "hook" insert a comma and the words the relatively large end bill" or and hook"; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of February, A. D. 1929.

M, J Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

